2013-P Fort McHenry

The 2013-P Fort McHenry honors the star-shaped Baltimore harbor fort whose September 1814 defense against British naval bombardment produced the verses Francis Scott Key wrote during the attack, lines that became "The Star-Spangled Banner." Joseph Menna's reverse depicts the fort viewed from above, the bastioned star plan clearly readable, with a large garrison flag flying over the parade ground. The release year fell within the broader War of 1812 bicentennial period and roughly a year before the September 2014 bicentennial of the fort's defense itself. Philadelphia struck 120,000,000 pieces, well above the 2012 average and consistent with the 2013 Federal Reserve order pattern.

Strike quality on this issue concentrates on the bastion edges and the flag detail above the fort. Look for clean angular definition along the five-pointed star plan and for legible field-and-stripe pattern on the flag, both of which require well-maintained dies to render at grade-determining sharpness. The clad composition (75% copper-nickel outer layers over a pure copper core, 5.67 grams, 24.26 mm) is the standard since 1965, so authentication is functionally a non-issue and the certified market runs through PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC slabs. Roll hunters routinely pull MS65 examples from original P-mint rolls, and even MS66 surfaces with reasonable frequency.

This is a Regular-classification issue and one of the most available 2013 P-mint dates through high Mint State. The 120 million mintage produces a deep certified population at MS67 and a comfortable count at MS68. Set builders chasing a complete circulation run typically buy this date in MS66 or MS67 slabs and reserve real money for MS68+ examples with full bastion and flag detail. The historical resonance, the Star-Spangled Banner connection, gives the issue crossover appeal among American history collectors but has not translated into a measurable price premium. For the broader story of the ATB program and the series' design arc, see the Washington ATB series history.